San Diego Zoo
'Overview' The San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park, San Diego, California, is one of the most progressive zoos in the world, with over 4,000 animals of more than 800 species. It is also one of the few zoos in the world that houses the giant panda. It is privately operated by the nonprofit Zoological Society of San Diego on 100 acres (40 ha) of parkland leased from the City of San Diego, and ownership of all animals, equipment and other assets rests with the City of San Diego. The San Diego Zoo is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the American Association of Museums (AAM), and a member of the Zoological Association of America (ZAA) and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA). 'List of Attractions' Discovery Outpost * Children's Zoo *Gharials and Turtles *Giant Tortoises *Hummingbird House * Insect House *Reptile House Lost Forest * Australasian Aviaries *Birds of Prey *Bonobo exhibit *Flamingo Lagoon *Gorilla Tropics *Ituri Forest *Monkey Trails and Forest Tales *Absolutely Apes *Owens Aviary *Parker Aviary *Scripps Aviary *Tiger River Polar Rim *Polar Bear Plunge *Hoofstock Yards Asian Passage *Sun Bear Forest Panda Trek Africa Rocks *Big Cats *Meerkats *Kopjie Urban Jungle Outback Elephant Odyssey *Lions and Jaguar Habitat *Elephant Habitat *Mixed Species Habitat *Secretary Bird exhibit *Dung Beetles *Streamside Habitat *Pronghorns *Rattlesnakes *Condors 'List of Animals and Exhibits' 'Monkey Trails and Forest Tales' Monkey Trails showcases monkeys and other animals from the rainforests of Asia and Africa. Opened in 2005, it replaced an older exhibit known as the Monkey Yard. Monkey Trails is home primarily to monkeys such as guenons, mangabeys, and mandrills, but it also showcases many other species of animals, such as Visayan warty pigs and Bornean bearded pigs Pygmy hippos, slender-snouted crocodiles, and many species of turtles and fish can be seen in a series of water/land exhibits all with underwater viewing areas. The Scripps Aviary is home to many colorful birds such as the amethyst starling, tinkerbirds, and the sociable weaver. In smaller exhibits are many reptiles and amphibians such as pancake tortoises, and many species of arthropods such as Madagascar hissing cockroachs. Monkey Trails utilizes a new method of displaying arboreal animals—by climbing up an elevated walkway throughout the exhibit. Some of the horticultural highlights in Monkey Trails include a ficus tree, cycads, and a bog garden. 'Panda Trek' As of July 2011, the San Diego Zoo is one of four zoos in the U.S. which have giant pandas on display, and is the most successful in terms of panda reproduction. The first two giant panda cubs in U.S. history to have been born in the U.S. and survive into adulthood, Hua Mei (female, born to Bai Yun and Shi Shi) and Mei Sheng (male, born to Bai Yun and Gao Gao), were born at the San Diego Zoo, in 1999 and 2003, respectively. Since then, three more giant panda cubs, Su Lin and Zhen Zhen (both females), and Yun Zi (male), have been born to the resident giant panda parents Bai Yun and Gao Gao. All these American-born cubs except Yun Zi have been sent back to China to participate in the breeding program there. In addition to being able to view this rare animal species, the nearby Giant Panda Discovery Center has interactive exhibits that let the visitor experience first hand what the animals smell and sound like. Since the opening of Panda Trek there are now Sichuan takins, a red panda, a gaboon pit viper, and an exhibit comparing several types of bamboo. 'Polar Bear Plunge' Polar Bear Plunge, which opened in 1996 and was renovated in March 2010, houses over 30 species representing the Arctic. The main animals in the area are the three polar bears, named Kalluk, Chinook, and Tatqiq. More animals that make their home in Polar Bear Plunge are the reindeer or caribou, the Arctic fox, and the raccoon. An underwater viewing area is available to observe the polar bears swimming in their 130,000-US-gallon (490,000 l) pool. Farther down the path lies the arctic aviary, home to the diving ducks including buffleheads, harlequin ducks, the smews, and long-tailed ducks. The aviary houses more than 25 species of duck. Some of the horticultural highlights include giant redwood trees, many different pine trees, and manzanita. 'Ituri Forest' Based upon the real Ituri Forest in Africa, this exhibit houses different animal species from the forests of Africa. Animals such as Allen's swamp monkeys, lesser spot-nosed guenons, spotted-necked otters, a red river hog, and an African forest buffalo can be found coexisting within the exhibit. One of the prominent species of the African exhibit is the okapis grazing from the trees. These relatives of the giraffe are rarely seen in zoos and are scarcely witnessed in the wild. Some of Ituri Forest's most prominent inhabitants exist within the hippo exhibit, which includes an underwater viewing area and several species of exotic fish, such as tilapia. One can also see the colorful turacos. In the forest, over 30 species of birds reside, including the Congo peafowl. Some of the horticultural highlights include banana trees, sausage trees, yellow trumpet trees, and bamboo. 'Elephant Odyssey' This exhibit opened on May 26, 2009 in the area once known as Hoof and Horn Mesa. The main feature of the exhibit is the 2.5-acre (10,000 m2) elephant habitat—more than three times the size of the Zoo's former elephant exhibit, in what used to be Elephant Mesa (now the "Urban Jungle"). The herd includes one male (Ranchipur) and eight females (Tembo, Devi, Sumithi, Cha Cha, Mary, Cookie, Tina, and Jewel) and blends the Zoo's herd of one African and two Asian elephants with the Wild Animal Park's four Asian Elephants. Two elephants, Tina and Jewel, were brought to the zoo on August 22, 2009. Elephant Odyssey also features a glimpse of the past with the Fossil Portal and life-size statues of ancient creatures of Southern California next to the exhibits of their modern-day counterparts. The ancient life represented include the Columbian mammoth, the saber-tooth cat, the American lion, the Daggett's eagle, and the giant ground sloth. Elephant Odyssey's other animal exhibits include African lions, jaguars, tapirs, guanacos, capybaras, tree sloths, secretary birds, dung beetles, water beetles, desert scorpions, toads, newts, turtles, frogs, dromedary camels, pronghorn, horses, burros, llamas, rattlesnakes, and for the first time at the Zoo, the California condor. Ballsack. 'Gorilla Tropics' Simulating the rainforests of central Africa and opened in 1991, Gorilla Tropics has an 8,000-square-foot (740 m2) enclosure for the eponymous species.20 The exhibit has waterfalls, a meadow, and tropical plants such as allspice, coral trees, and African tulip trees, as well as several species of bamboo. Guests can view the gorillas from a viewing window, across a waterfall, and across a creek. 'Absolutely Apes' This exhibit opened in 2003 and houses Bornean orangutans and siamangs in an 8,400-square-foot (780 m2) exhibit, which is flanked by a 110-foot (34 m) glass viewing window. The exhibit provides sway poles and artificial trees for the primates to swing on and a fake termite mound for them to fish condiments out of. The viewing area is designed to resemble the mulch-lined exhibit side of the viewing window by having rubber mulch and miniature sway poles for kids. Some plant species in the exhibit are toog trees, carrotwood trees, and markhamia trees. 'Sun Bear Forest' This $3.5 million exhibit opened in 1989 and exhibits Malayan sun bears and other southeast Asian species. One end of the 1.5-acre (0.61 ha) complex houses lion-tailed macaques in a grassy exhibit with a stream and climbing ropes. The oblong sun bear exhibit straddles the path along the rest of the complex, and a couple of small aviaries house fifteen species of birds including fairy bluebird and fruit doves. A large glass-covered exhibit with artificial vines is designed for crested gibbons. This part of Asian Passage which also features Francois langurs and lion-tailed macaques. 'Tiger River' Tiger River, located in a sloping canyon, opened in 1988 and houses Malayan tigers.28 From the top of the canyon, the path first goes through a pavilion with underwater viewing of crocodilians and other aquatic reptiles. It proceeds to another pavilion, this time flanked by the Marsh Aviary, with white-collared kingfishers and storks, and a fishing cat exhibit. Farther down the canyon are a Malayan tapir exhibit and the 1⁄4-acre (0.10 ha) tiger habitat, which has a hillside stream, waterfall, and glass viewing window 'Discovery Outpost' Don’t let the name fool you–our Children’s Zoo is for everyone to enjoy! But there are more than 30 special animal exhibits and activities designed with our younger visitors in mind. The popular Petting Paddock allows kids a chance to feel the wooly coat of a sheep or comb a gentle goat’s hair. Our animal nursery has large viewing windows to let you watch animal babies being bottle-fed or cuddled by our caring keepers. Don’t be dismayed if there are no baby animals in the nursery when you visit—it just means all our animal babies are being cared for by their mothers and don’t need our help! The Children’s Zoo has animals not found anywhere else on Zoo grounds, such as spider monkeys, an American alligator, and our ever-fascinating naked mole-rats. Best of all, about 45 of the 200 critters living here are trained as animal ambassadors, so you might get to feel how sharp a hedgehog’s quills are, or hear how quietly a horned owl can flap its wings. There are animals like echidna, red pandas, fennec foxes, naked Mole-rats, macaws, pygmy marmosets, fossas, otters and pangolins. Stay a while to watch the gharials–an endangered crocodilian–and Asian turtles swimming in their luxurious pool or sunning themselves on the spacious sandy beach. The large pool is kept at a comfortable 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26 degrees Celsius) and holds 55,000 gallons (208,200 liters) of water. Some of the Zoo’s oldest—and slowest—residents are the Galápagos tortoises. Many of them have been with us since 1928, making them the oldest residents in the Zoo. They arrived here as young adults and we estimate their age to be over 100 years old! Numbers painted on each animal’s shell help the keepers identify their charges: white-numbered tortoises are males, red numbers indicate females. The Hummingbird House is a long-time favorite of Zoo visitors. Being inside is almost like being in a fairy world, watching fantastic, colorful little creatures flitting by your face while surround by waterfalls and beautiful exotic plants. The Zoo’s insect house is a great place to appreciate the little things in life. Creatures that you might never see—or purposely avoid—elsewhere are safely presented for your amazement. Take a moment to enjoy and understand these creatures. There is definitely a great deal more to them than meets the eye! The Reptile House at the San Diego Zoo has delighted and awed visitors for generations. A stroll around its perimeter allows you to safely view an amazing collection of pythons, cobras, boas, rattlesnakes, desert tortoises, and Gila monsters up close—about 100 species in all! Because you’re on the outside looking in, you’re not bothered by the heat and humidity required to maintain some of our reptiles. Each reptile’s enclosure is designed to look like the resident’s natural home. 'Urban Jungle' The San Diego Zoo’s giraffe exhibit lets you get amazingly close to these tremendously tall creatures. The tallest of land animals, a giraffe could look into a second-story window without even having to stand on its tiptoes! There is only one species of giraffe, with nine currently recognized subspecies. The different subspecies can be recognized by their patterns and also by where they live in Africa. The Zoo has a herd of Masai giraffes, native to Kenya, that have patterns that look like oak leaves. Giraffes are not the only residents of the giraffe exhibit—they share their space with much smaller Soemmerring’s gazelles, graceful antelope native to Africa. Feeding stations are located throughout, with low feeders containing tasty herbivore pellets lining the front of the exhibit and much higher ones with leafy acacia branches dangling enticingly in the middle. Either way, it’s so interesting to watch a giraffe use its long, dark tongue to wrap around its food. If you’d like an up-close feeding encounter with our leggy beauties, be sure to visit on the weekend: our Giraffe Experience lets you feed nutritious biscuits to the giraffes. Money raised from this program supports conservation efforts that help improve habitat for giraffes as well as Grevy’s zebras, elephants, and other African wildlife. 'Outback' We have the largest colony of koalas outside of Australia, and most of them can be seen by visitors each day. The koala exhibit has six separate outdoor enclosures. Each has perches filled with those tasty eucalyptus branches, photos and descriptions of the individual koalas hanging out there for the day. There are also three indoor enclosures that can also be viewed by visitors: lovely murals of Australian landscapes decorate the back walls. The Zoo is home to a small herd of Bactrian (two-humped) camels. They don’t have to work nearly as hard as their brethren: in fact, they have an easy life here! The camel exhibit’s main yard is surrounded by towering eucalyptus trees and shaded by large ficus trees. A gnarled root structure is perfect for the occasional itch and comes in handy when the camels shed their heavy winter coats in favor of a sleek summer one. You’ll find Parma wallabies at the San Diego Zoo. This species was thought to be extinct until accidentally “discovered” on an island near Auckland, New Zealand in 1965. Our wallaby exhibit provides these pouched wonders with lots of space for hopping and hidey-holes for those times when a wallaby just needs to have some “alone time.” Look for the tracks left by the wallabies’ tails in the soft dirt! 'Africa Rocks' Stroll along our very own “catwalk” to see sleek, powerful felines in their gorgeous fur coats. Each species has its own enclosure, designed with the animals’ need in mind; the enclosures come complete with climbing structures, hammocks, logs, scratching posts, snug caves, and a high wall in back when the cat wants a bird’s-eye view of its surroundings. Five cat species make their home along the Big Cat Trail. The smallest of these is the Siberian lynx, the largest in the lynx family. A subspecies of the Eurasian lynx, it has long, thick, light-colored fur that is silky in the winter, shorter, thinner, and darker-colored in the summer. Snow leopards are native to the mountainous regions of Central Asia. A mural along the back wall helps set the scene. Our “snows” enjoy their rocky perches and the pine trees in their enclosure. Mountain lion, cougar, puma—this cat is known by more names than just about any other mammal! Powerfully built, the mountain lion’s large paws, sharp claws, and muscular hind legs give it great jumping power. It may be challenging to spot our Chinese leopard, but the large cat is well worth the effort. Please keep in mind that leopards are nocturnal, doing most of their hunting at night and saving the daylight hours for rest. Our jaguar is the scene-stealer of the bunch. This rain forest native has a waterfall and small pool to splash in. Look closely at the San Diego Zoo’s East African Kopje exhibit and you’ll see more than just a rocky face. At work here is the concept of simulating a specific bio-ecological niche—the first of its kind here at the Zoo. You’ll find diminutive klipspringers, gregarious dwarf mongooses, rock hyrax, powerful bateleur eagles, and some smaller birds native to this unique African habitat. The zoo's busy mob of meerkats has plenty of room to dig their endless tunnels; their exhibit features plenty of dirt as well as logs and rocks for climbing and scampering, bushes to hide under, and two artificial termite mounds that are often filled with tasty meerkat treats! See if you can find the meerkat on guard duty, perched on top of the tallest termite mound, scanning the sky for potential danger. Sun seekers extraordinaire, you’ll often find the mob basking in a sunny spot, bellies fully exposed to the warming rays. Now that’s the life!